The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-02
THE NEW WATER SUPPLY
THE ARTESIAN WELLS TO BE
STARTED WEDNESDAY.

The System Nearly Complete and
Ready to be Put In Operation
Changes at the Water Works-A De-
feet i'll the New Machinery Causes a
Delay in Starting-New Wells in Pro-
gress.
The water works grounds were almost
overTlm with visitors yesterday Many
people drove out expecting to see the arte-
sian well system in operation.
Supt Miller had everything in readiness
Several days ago. The pipes connecting the
chain of wells and running into the pump
ing works are laid, but a mistake of the
manufactures in casting a part of
The machinery-the ''check valves
100 small, neceSsitated delay
until some alterations could be made The
work is now about completed, and the pipes
and valves connecting with the pumps and
city mains will be put in position to-day and
tomorrow By tomorrow night, Supt
Miller says that everything will be
In readiness, and on Wednesday the artesian
water will be sent into the city
At present the supply will be from five
wells, running i'll a chain south of the works
and capable of delivering daily $500, 600
gallons of water. There are two wells vet
incomplete. One, the last of the chain and
the southernmost well, is down 220 feet,
end will probably be finished this week
The other is east of the north and south
chain and is the first of a chain running east
and west at right angles with that already
about completed, crossing it and connecting
with it near well No. just south of the
works. The second incomplete well, and the
seventh in number of those sunk, is down
loo feet and already has a good flow of
"a Stl1af al, -
II on Friday on account of
bard rock which was encountered and
which it was almost impossible to penetrate
The drill was kept at work, however, and
progress was made inch by inch until the
hard stratum was pierced. Immediately
Flow of water started up, and the we'll prom
ises to be one of the finest of the entire
chain. The water is cold and as clear as
Dgystal. The well will be sunk lower, in order
TO obtain stronger flow. This will prob
ably be thu lat well that will be sunk for
the present. These already bored have a
capacity OF over S,000,000 gallons
q day. The pipe leading to
the pumps viii carry II, 10000 gallons, but
1t is not likely that the city will require so
large supply for some time yet
The average depth of the five wells now
complete is triflle over $50 feet Three of
the wells are 10 inches in diameter The
other two are 6-inch wells. The first of the
big wells, and the one nearest the works, is
S27 feet deep. Tbs second well ia 800 feet
deep, and the third is the same depth as the
hrst The 6-inch wells are 331 and 339 feet
deep.
All that remains TO complete the system
and get it in operation is the putting in of
the ''check valves which will be done to-
day and to morrow. These are the valves
which regulate the supply of water for the
mains. When they are in position it will
Nsf,r4r lrNf
the arteslan water or the river water and
allow one or the other to flow into the city
mains
If the-artesian water is not satisfactory it
ran be shut of, and in twenty minutes the
familiar old Savannah will be turned into
the mains and sent through the city.
There seems to be very little doubt of the
success of the new system, and that, having
once used artesian water, nobody will be
willing to go back to the yellow and muddy
1uld that the city has had to put up with
Tor the past l54 years.
y The Water Works Committee of CITY
Council, OF which Alderman Wells is chair
man, has pushed the artesan system to its
present advanced stage of completion. A
good deal of credit, however, is due to ex-
alderman $. p Hamilton, who was chair
man OF the Water Committee of the Council
which started the movement Mr. Hamilton
was a firm believer from the start in the
success of an artesian well system for Sa-
pannah. He urged the matter before Coun-
Gil, and it was under his direction that
the first well was sunk. Mr.
Wells, of the present Water
Committee, has pushed the work ahead, and
the result of his efforts and of the other
members of the committee, and those of
Mr.. Hamilton is the securing of pure
water supply which Savannah has talked of
for so many years, and which promises to be
one of the blessed improvements of the
new age.n